The Evening Times ran an article about figures in a new report showing that women from Lanarkshire experience higher-than-average rates of stillbirth and neonatal deaths than other parts of Scotland. The region recorded the second-highest rate in Scotland with 6.42 deaths per 1,000 births. However it is worth noting that the figure of 7,096 Lanarkshire resident […]
It’s time to turn Scotland’s Big C into the wee c
A new initiative has launched in Scotland to help change the way cancer is viewed in a bid to reduce fear around the disease and boost survival rates.
The wee c is a partnership between the Scottish Government and Cancer Research UK, with support from 14 of Scotland’s leading cancer charities, who together have issued the call for people across the nation to turn the Big C into the wee c.
The initiative is focused on spreading more positive messages around what’s being done to bring cancer down to size. For too long, people have referred to cancer as ‘The Big C’ feeding a fatalistic view of the disease, and research has shown this fear often results in people delaying visiting their GP with potential symptoms or attending screening.
The wee c aims to tackle this long-held pessimism by telling the other side of the story – that more people in Scotland are surviving cancer than ever before. Around 15,800 men and women diagnosed with cancer this year will survive compared to 9,500 that would have survived 30 years ago.
The fact that the average ten year survival rate for cancer has doubled over the past 30 years shows that cancer isn’t what it used to be, thanks to earlier detection, research breakthroughs and treatment advances. This message is backed by those who are playing their part in driving the positive strides Scotland is making from medical researchers to health professionals, charity workers to fundraisers.
Speaking at the launch, Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, said: “The reality is that thanks to innovation and investment, there are around 176,000 people in Scotland who have been diagnosed with cancer over the last 20 years and who are still alive –over double the population of Inverness.
“Reframing the way cancer is viewed goes hand-in-hand with boosting survival rates and everyone can play a part. If we can raise awareness of what is being done to tackle cancer, we’ll hopefully, in time, be able to address the fear people have in seeing their GP or attending their screening appointment. The earlier you come forward to get checked or screened, the better, it could save your life.”
People can show their support for, and play a part in, the wee c in a number of ways. Visit theweec.org to find out more.
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